<p>Anyone plannning on taking a bicycle with them, or are you going to make the bike decision later? </p>
<p>We are on the fence about purchasing one now, and waiting to see if it is needed. Especially since there is the bike rental option really cheap.</p>
<p>Hi Vlines
We are going to wait to make that decision after D has been on campus for a bit. We were told at our BB by one of the officers that some bikes end up chained and don’t move for an entire semester. Kids figure out what works for them after a few weeks. Figure we will buy one if she really needs it when we come up for Parents Weekend.</p>
<p>that is the way that we are leaning too, buzymom, especially with the rental availability.</p>
<p>At Bama Bound this past week, we were told that the students can rent one, from the Rec, for $10 for the year. BYOL…</p>
<p>I’d definitely say to wait on purchasing a bike. Plenty of people think they are going to bike around, but find that the hassle of locking, unlocking and always keeping track of the bike, is more difficult than just walking to class. Personally, I think the Bama Bikes bikes are rather… cheap, but then again it is a cheap option, so I guess you get what you pay for.</p>
<p>We’re also waiting. D is fairly certain she’ll use a bicycle, but the hitch receiver on her car is the wrong size for our bike carrier and she can’t be bothered to deal with getting her bike to Tuscaloosa. She figures she can buy one down there if she feels the need and then store it over the summer rather than dragging her bike (which is nothing special) there and back every year.</p>
<p>Mesquite- I agree about the bike quality of the rentals. We told my son that if he thought he needed one, to rent it and use for a few weeks to figure out if he really would use it consistently. And it helped him in any way. If he did, then we could either ship his, or buy one down there. </p>
<p>I think it would be a harder decision if there were not bke rentals avaialble.</p>
<p>My cousin whos a sophomore said that the rental bikes have a terribly long waiting list and that some of his friends who put their names on the list at the start of school last year didnt get one for 7 months.</p>
<p>Another factor to consider is the rain. It’s not much fun biking to class when it’s sunny only to exit in a downpour and have to decide how to deal w/your bike. Tuscaloosa’s weather is somewhat unpredictable and this scenario happened more than once. It didn’t dampen her enthusiasm for riding, but it does help to plan ahead.</p>